Burnt Lungs and Sour Tastes
by misplacedpuzzlepiece
Summary: He was a naive teenage boy and she was a down-and-out junkie. She never asked to be saved, and his were the hands of a killer, not a messiah. But there she was, and he knew there was no swaying his mind. It was more than teenage hormones, it was more than the club, it was more than anything; he was sure of it. Jax x OC Opie x OC Set in High School. Rating may change from T to M.
1. We Aren't Saviors

**Needle and the thread gotta get you out of my head**

 **You watched me bleed until I can't breath**

 **I'm shaking, falling onto my knees**

 **I'll be needing stitches**

It was just another day, another deal. She was just another junkie, another idiot woman. He didn't have to save her, it wasn't his responsibility. But he stil had a conscience, and it made him. He pulled her shaking cold body from that old building, from the rubble. He pulled her out, nearly lifeless and struggling to hang on. Her body covered in tattoos and scars, so thin and frail; she was half naked, just like the stereotype of a junkie in a traphouse.

He carried her back to the van that previously held the weapons they had just sold. He laid her in the back, hopping in next to her; everything was in slow motion, her breathing, his movments; all of it. Tig his the gas before any of the doors were even closed, driving back to the garage at full speed.

For some reason, Jax wanted nothing more than to save his girls life, this girl he swore he didn't even know. He wasn't exactly sure what it was, but her face was angelic, and she reminded him of a simpler time, a more innocent time. He watched as her chest barely raised up and fell down, and she continued to shake. They couldn't get to the garage quick enough to give her the shot she needed.

Everything was in slow motion once again, Jax carrying her cold body into the club house, everyone following behind. Loud slamming noises, bright lights, yelling, hurrying. He was shaking but managed to steady his hang enough to inject the girls body with a high dose of Narcan, stopping the overdose. Seconds letter her body stopped shaking and she began coughing, being able to draw larger breaths. Her body warmed and her color slowly came back.

The ringing ears and muffled sounds slowly started to disipate and turn into normal senses: lights, voices, music, cigarette smoke, alochol. The girl looked around, confused. She leaned over the table she was on and vomitted onto the floor, her body feeling normal once again. She wiped her mouth, leaning back up.

"Who are you?" she asked her voice still weak. "Wh-Where am I?" Her voice was so young, so feeble. Her body was still shaking in shock, and she was trying to get the rom to stop spinning.

"Why did you bring her here?" his voice was stern and serious as he addressed his 17-year-old son.

Jaxon turned around to look at his father, standing tall and proud, still hovering over him. He may been a prospect in the club now, but he stil wasn't allowed to jump to rash decisions, like bringing a random girl back to their clubhouse.

"She was over-dosing, I couldn't-"

"We aren't junkie saviors, son. This girl isn't anyones responsibility but her own. Why you chose to thik overwise," John Teller looked at the ground and back up to his son. "Just go hang out with your friends, we'll give her some clothes and get her on her way.

The girl sat back, scared a little bit. She didn't even know where she was, and she was already getting kicked out. She hugged her knees close to her chest, trying to cover her cold skin.

Jax hung his head, walking about of the clubhouse and to the garage, where he would usually find Opie with his dad.

The girl was trembling, waiting for John Teller to say something else.

"Gem," he called his wife over. "Go find her some warm clean clothes so she can find her way back home."

Home? Well, she didn't exatly have one of those. The trap house she was staying in was the closest thing to it lately. When your parents kick you out at 16 you don't have that many options.

Gemma did as she was told, bringing back a pair of leggings and a SAMCRO hoodie for the girl. She got dressed quickly in the bathroom and washed her face. Her bags under her eyes were so heavy and dark, she was disgusted with herself. It had been far too long since she had taken a good look in the mirror at herself, since she had seen what she was becoming.

It hurt her when she heard John Teller call her a junkie, but looking at her refelction, she couldn't blame him. She was in too deep and needed out. She needed away from the needle before it became her end.

She exited the bathroom, looking a little less than a zombie.

"Thank you." she told Gemma, heading for the door.

"Stay safe out there, kid. It'd be a good decision to keep that needle out of your vein." She swallowed the lump in her throat, turning to Gemma and nodding. She was right, but she wasn't sure she could stay away from it. She was ODed only a few hours ago and the sweet drug was already calling her name.

It was dark out and the breeze was cold. She pulled the hoodie tight to her body, trying not to let air in. She headed for the street, wondering where she could go for the night.

Jax was sitting at the picnic tables with Opie, the two passing a joint back and forth. Jax watched the small girl walking away from the club house and to the street. First looking around and making sure he was out of his father and mother sight, he ran over to her, Opie following behind.

"Hey!" he yelled, stopping her. She turned around, seeing who it was. She dropped her head and turned once more, continuing to walk. Jax kept going after her, his run turning into a light job, and finally a walk. "I saved your life and you can't even say 'hey' back?" He said to her, cockiness lining his throat.

She shook her head. "I'm not your responsibility, and you shouldn't have." Was all she had to say.

Jax wasn't even sure what he could say back to that. He and Opie continued following her.

"I know you don't want to keep sticking that needle in your arm." he called to her. She spun around, her face hurt with truth.

"You don't know me. You know nothing about me. All you know is that I was homeless and overdosing and for some reason, you chose to save me. Thank you for that, now have a good fucking life." she kept walking, not even sure where she was going at this point. She needed to find a fix, she was starting to sweat and feel nauseous. Jax noticed that when she stopped to dry heave a few times.

"Do you wanna smoke?" he offered. "I know it won't completely help, but it takes some of the sickness away." he wasn't stupid, he had seen it many times before. Withdraw was terrible, and the SAMCRO way of rehab was cold turkey, with nothing but cigarettes and pot.

She didn't want to, but she needed to. She didn't know how long it was going to be before she could find a fix.

"Fine." she agreed, walking back to the two teenagers. "Where at?"

"Come on." Jax and Opie walked back towards the club house where they would get Jaxs car and go to the cabin SAMCRO owned. No one used it, only for a hide out if a member was on the run.

The three got into his car.

"Do you want a smoke?" he offered the girl a cigarette and she took it. "So, what's your name, anyways? I'm Jaxon, this is Opie."

She took a few lovely hits off of the, letting the nicotine hit her head and make her dizzy.

"Maci." she said.

"You gotta be close to our age, right?" Opie asked, noticing she did look rather young.

"I just turned 17." she looked out the window at all the scenery, smoking her cigarette in seconds.

"Us too." Jax told her. He made a left down an old dirt rode, driving it for about half a mile. He came up to a log cabin that was dark and quiet. The three got out and Opie used the hide-a-key to get in. They entered, turning on the light, watching dust flutter around the room.

"Damn, been a while since anyones been up here."Jax said through muffled coughs, breathing in the old dust. Maci stayed close to him, walking over to a couch. She sat down, her legs jittery.

"Sorry." she apologized for shaking the floor. "It's a bitch. I don't know why I ever went back after I got clean the first time." she admitted her defeat.

"Hey, it's alright." Opie pulled a rolled blunt out of a cigarillo wrapper and lit it. "We all have family and friends who've been through this shit. We know how it is."

She could smell the marijuana and it settled her stomach. She was an addict, and there was no denying that.

She watched as it touched Jaxs lips, leaving behind hints of sticky resin. She licked her lips, but not without Jax noticing. He smirked, handing the blunt to her. She hit it and she hit it hard, nearly eating weed as she did. After two hits, she handed it back to Opie.

"Have you thought about getting clean?" Jax asked her.

She chuckled. "Is that a serious question? No one who's addicted wants to be. Of course I want to be clean. It's just so hard."

"It's not hard when you have the right people on your side." Opie told her. Jax nodded agreeing as he hit the blunt.

"And who are the right people?" she asked.

"Us." Jax assured her. "If you want to get clean, you have a safe place right here to do it. We've seen our parents do this shit for years, we know how to handle it." Opie nodding, agreeing with him completely.

The blunt was back to Maci and she hit it, pensive. The sickness had gone away, but she was still shaking and craving. She had no clue why he wanted to help her, why he saved her. She wasn't sure on those things, but the one thing that she was sure about was wanting to be clean again.

"Would it really work?" she asked them.

"Fuck yeah, it would. No one would even know you're here. It's not like me and Op ever go to school anyways." the two boys laughed at their school skipping. "If you want to get clean, we got your back. I can't save you from and OD only to let you go stick another needle in your vein."

She sighed, hitting the small remains of the blunt.

"I do."she decided. "I want to be clean."

And sobriety started right then and there, that night. Besides, the first 48 hours are always the worst.


	2. Cold Turkey Got Me on the Run

**Temperature's rising**  
 **Fever is high**  
 **Can't see no future**  
 **Can't see no sky**  
 **Cold turkey has got me on the run**  
 **My body is aching**  
 **Goose-pimple bone**  
 **Can't see no body**  
 **Leave me alone**

Cold, sickly, shivering screams. Groans and dry heaves and so much water that couldn't even stay down. It was the end of times, she could have sworn. She had never felt so defeated, so down in her entire life.

The AC was blasting and she was still wrapped in a thick blanket, trying to get the unbalance of temperature to go away. If she was hot, she was cold seconds later. If she was cold, her blood boiled up to an unbearable degree in minutes.

She was as white as a ghost, covered in sweat and toxins, leaking out of every pore in her skin. She had forgotten how long this was, how terrible this process was. It always brought up the tempting thoughts to walk to a methadone clinic and get a quick, legal fix; no. It wasn't worth it. It was just as bad as the shit that got her there in the first place.

She lay on the floor, rocking in the fetal position, trying to get her nausea to subside. Every method she tried failed. She had smoked all that Jax brought her than morning a few hours ago, so she was stuck. Even the marijuana didn't completely take away all the withdraw symptoms. She felt so low, even death was murmering her short name.

She heard an engine pull up and cut off, two doors closing. She was breathing heavy, really hoping it was only Jax or Opie showing up. Sure enough, the door swung open and the two boys were there, rushing over to her.

"Come on," Jax said, picking her up off the ground. He knew that a shock to her body would help her get through; a cold shower, followed by a warm one. "Ope, roll something for her while I get her calmed down."

Jaxon carried her weak body back to the bathroom, Maci groaning every step of the way. He sat her down gently in the bathtub.

"I'll turn around while you get undressed." he told her.

"No." she got out. "I can't. I need help." she sounded like a 2-year-old who knew if they tried undressing themselves they'd be stuck inside their shirt for hours.

Jax kneeled down next to the tub, hepling her pull his Slayer shirt off. He had brought her down some of his own clothes that morning, to assure she would e comfortable and clean. He unsnapped her bra, and pulled his bowers and her underwear off of her. Now that she was naked, he could see all the other tattoos that were hinden by her small amount of clothing the day before.

She sat, her knees up to her chest. She was trembling all over, her knees giving her shaking head some support. Taking no more time, Jax turned the cold water on, it hitting her skin.

At first it felt like pins and needles, stinging her body. Then, he felt her temperature regulate and the nausea start to go away. After a few minutes her body was just cold now, cold and shivering. Jax turned the hot water on, making it a steamy warm.

"I'll be right back with a towel and a blunt, okay? Try and wash your body or hair or something, it'll make you feel better."

Maci nodded, hearing him. She tried to wash her hair, but she was still so weak, and lifting her arms was a task. She moved on to washing her body; much easier.

She rubbed the lufa up and down, leaving buddles behind. It felt like she was washing away her wrong doings. All the demons that resurfaced after her turn around in the past 24 hours were slowly being washed away. The feeling that came over her brought her to a new horizon; she had made it 24-hours. She had turned a new leaf over, and she proved she could do it. All she needed was to stay clean for the first day and she could make it through the rest.

She rinsed her body best she could and scooted forward to sit under the warm water. She let it consume her, trickling down her entire body and back. She didn't want to get out, but she knew she had to.

Jax came back, unlit blunt in mouth and a towel.

"Here," he kneeled down, wrapping it around her like a small child. He turned the water off and grabbed her up out of the tub, carrying her to the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and grabbed more of his clothes. A Metallica shirt and SAMCRO sweatpants he got for Christmas.

He handed her her bra and she pushed it out of his hand.

"Fuck that. Just get clothes on me." she had more energy than before, but still not enough.

Jax hurried and slipped the pants and t-shirt on her body, forgetting her bra and underwear like she demanded.

Once dressed, she sat up, running her hand through her wet hair, panting. For the first time all day she didn't feel clammy, or hot and cold; she didn't even feel nauseaous.

"Are you hungry?" she was, but she wasn't sure she could eat just yet.

"Can we smoke first? I'm not sure how long I'll feel alright to keep something down." Jax nodded.

Maci stood up and he helped her walk back into the living room, where she collapsed onto the couch, Jax sitting down next to her. He lit the blunt and handed it straight to her.

"Well, you made it through the first day." Opie complimented. Maci looked at him out of the corner of her air, inhaling big hits off the blunt. She passed it Opie.

"I know. I made it a day, and that's all I needed to do. I'm fucking done with that shit." And she meant it. Never again was she going to put herself through this, not any of it. No needles, no heroin, no crank, no selling her body. She was done with that life.

"You don't look as terrible." Jax hit the blunt and handed it back to Maci. "I mean, from when I took you to the shower."

Maci smirked. "I don't feel as terrible. You really weren't kidding when you said you've done this before." She rubbed her hands on her knees, her head feeling clear for the first time since last night. "Thank you." she told him. "And now just for this, for yesterday, too. I'm sorry if I came off as rude. I still don't know why you saved me from there. Anyone else could have left me to die."

And that was the truth. An even harder truth was that he didn't even know why he saved her; he had no idea. Something told him to gra that girl, something told him to save that girl. Something beyond himself told him to make that decision.

"It's no a problem, really. It was just.." he hit the blunt again, it becoming smaller. He handed the rest off to her. "The right time and the right place." Was all he could think of.

Maci tried to pass the blunt but both men refused, saying they had smoked on their way and planned to smoke more while they were there.

"Now do you want food?" Jax asked her. Maci nodded, deciding she was really hungry and a greasy cheeseburger and fries sounded better than anything. "Is fast food alright?"

"More than alright. A bacon cheeseburger and a large fry would be wonderful."

Jax smiled at her; that was his go-to when it came to quick and easy food.

"I'll go," Opie volunteered, standing up. "You stay with her. I'll only be gone 15 minutes, max."

Jax eyed him up, knowing all too well that he just wanted to drive his car. He reluctantly tossed him the keys, watching him walk out the door.

"So," he began, not sure where to start a conversation. "Want to tell me about yourself?"

She wasn't used to that. She didn't talk to anyone, and not many people knew really anything about her life at all. She was just another face, another customer, anyoher excort; another junkie whore.

"What do you want to know?" she asked, putting the blunt out in the ashtray and lighting a cigarette. Her head was pounding, but dealing with that was much better than nausea or fluctuating body temperature.

"What's your favorite color?" he asked her, completely serious.

She tilted the corners of her mouth up, playful and thinking. "Orange. What's yours?"

"Black."

Maci chuckled at him. "Black isn't a color, you know. It's a shade."

Jax rolled his eyes. "What are you, an artist?"

Well, no. She wasn't an artist exactly, but she was dently good when it came to drawing and painting. Her sophomore year art teacher banked on her getting scholarships for any art school she wanted to attend; that was before she dropped out, though.

"Nah." she answer after a long pause. "So what about you? Besides your father obviously being head of a biker gang."

"Hey," Jax snapped at her. In true club fashion he said, "it's a motorcycle club."

Maci actually laughed, a real laugh, for the first time in a very long time. She was going through detox and hated everything but she was having a genuinely good time just sitting there with the guy who saved her life.

Right on que, Opie came back with two Wendys grease covered bags in hand. He sat them down on the table, all three digging through to find their food.

After their stomaches were full and they smoked again, they were ready for bed. Opie had fallen asleep in the chair already and Maci was just about there, leaning into the corner of the couch. Jax grabbed a blanket from down the hall and came back, covering he and Maci both up.

"This way I'll already be here in the morning to give you smoke and cigarettes til I can make it back." he leaned into the couch, trying to get comfortable.

Maci was already out like a light.


	3. Remind Us All of What We Used to be

**Pictures of you**  
 **Pictures of me**  
 **Remind us all of what**  
 **We used to be**  
 **This a drug that cures it all**  
 **Blacked by the governmental wall**  
 **We are scientist inside the lab**

Well, convincing herself the first day was the worst was probably a bad idea. By 3 in the afternoon she was right where she was were, tangled in a mess of blankets on the floor in front of the AC, her body bouncing from hot to cold, in a constant state of nausea. She really wanted this all to be over, but she knew that was going to happen, at least not for a few more days. The first time she detoxed it took nearly a week for her to start to feel normal, so she all she was banking on was it not taking longer than the first time.

Maci threw her face into a trash can, vomitting nothing but clear liquid. She did manage to keep the cheeseburger and fries down the previous night, but that was mainly only because of Jax, marijuana, and the little bit of sleep she got. Before the two boys left for the day they made sure she was taken care of, smoked up with a suply of weed for the day, as well as an entire pack of cigarettes.

Maci groaned, managing to crawl over to the couch where she layed down. She didn't want to do this anymore, not now or not ever again. This was the very last time she'd ever detox, she swore to it. She refused to put herself through such a personal hell for such stupid personal decisions. How could she be so stupid? How could she be so weak? She remembered leaving the rehab center the first time she completed her sobriety challenge; she felt so strong, so ready to face the world. That was, until she came back to Charming and surrounding herself with the same people, places and situations.

She groaned again, rocking back and forth, cold sweat dripping down her forehead. She just wanted Jax and Opie to show up, that was all. She needed them there, and she hated to admit that. She was at one of the weakest points in her life, so weak that she needed to strangers to help her through it.

She could feel her skin boiling, nearly creating steam as cold sweat rolled down it. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself, but only ending up vomitting once again. She didn't even have enough strength in her body to attempt to pack a bowl to get all the bad feelings to subside. She was stuck until Jax showed up.

It was only a short 30 minutes more before he did, walking in like the day before.

Commanding Opie to roll up a blunt while he got her into the shower to shock her body back down to normal.

The now normal routine went quicker than the day before, Maci more coherant and able to help herself. Jax had brought her fresh clothes once again, his mother starting to become suspicious at how much longer her teenage son had been going through the past few days. Teenage boy stuff, was what she related it to.

She was in one of his High School t-shirt and a pair of shorts some random hook-up had left at his house. She walked to the living room on her own, still feeling nauseaous this time. After the blunt, she had to admit she felt much better than before. It was like magic, him showing up.

She felt like near death everytime she woke up and through the entire day; until he showed up. He was her leather covered savior, and she couldn't be more thankful for that. But the sad truth was, she wasn't sure what this meant after she was clean and done staying there. Where would she go? Would they continue to speak, to see each other? How was everything going to pan out after this was all said and done?

"Do you have an appetite today?" Jax asked her.

She shook her head. "No at all. I think if I eat anything I'll throw it right back up. I'm just thankful the cold and hot flashes stopped and I'm not as nausea-ridden as before you guys showed up." she hit the green bowl Jax had just packed for her. "So," she exhaled, handing it to Opie. "What do you guys do while you're gone all day?"

The two looked at each other, shrugging. "Go to school, I guess. I mean, we skip a lot." Opie started.

"But we've been trying to go so moms ain't gettin' suspicious." Jax finished the thought. "What school do you go to?"

Maci sighed. "I don't. I dropped out at the end of last year when my parents kicked me out." It wasn't something she was proud of, and it wasn't a time of her life she liked to think of talk about. She liked to pretend none of it ever handed and she was just there because, well, she just was.

It was easier pretending she was some type of gaseous nebula that had collapsed and crumbled, showing up as a new star, in some random new place; so far from the truth.

"Where did you go before?" he asked her, his blonde hair falling down in front of his blue eyes.

"Charming Heights." she took the last hit of the bowl, tapping it out in the ashtray. She lit a cigarette, handing one to Jax as well.

She said the school name and it hit him like a ton of bricks.

He had the mental images coming back to him, one by one. He had known why her face hit him the way it did when he saw her on that floor, over-dosing and shaking, life leaving her body. He realized what it was that set him off, what it was that made him save her. He remembered why she had reminded him of a simpler time, a more pure time before his hands were covered in blood and lies, before he was allowed to have any part with the club; before.

 _Freshman Year, Charming Area High School_

 _Maci sat in the arm room with a mask on, protecting her lungs and brain from the fumes coming out of the airbrush tool. She looked at the canvas, knowing it was missing something, just not sure what. This was_ the _piece for the Autumn art show, the one her teacher requested she make. As much as she wanted to decline, Mr. Taggins pressured her into it and she couldn't say no. He overwhelmed her with compliments and grace and envy, she couldn't let him down._

 _She sighed, setting down the airbrush gun. She pulled her mask off, followd by the gloves on her small hands. She still had a few days to finish it, a few days to think on what else needed to be added._

 _"I'll see you around, Mr. T. I'm gonna go get some lunch. It just needs a finishing touch, I'll have it done by tomorrow." The art teacher in his late 20s looked at the canvas, surprised she said it wasn't done._

 _"Are you sure?" he questioned her, pointing to the entire portrait. "It looks pretty done to me. Maci, this is probably one of the best pieces I've seen in this classroom." He told her truthfully._

 _She rolled her eyes. "Like I said, it'll be done tomorrow. See ya around, Mr. T!" she grabbed her purse over her shoulder and exited the room, making a loud crash with another person making their way into the room. Her purse hit the floor, spilling the contens all over the hall._

 _"I'm so sorry." she said, bending down before even seeing the other person infront of her. She scrambled to pick up her things, especially the pack of rolling papers and her half empty pack of Marlboro reds._

 _"It's alright." A deep voice assured her, offering a helping hand by handing her items that had fallen out. After the few things were picked up, the two Freshmen stood up._

 _"Thanks so much." she told him with a smile. "I'm a cluts, sometimes." Just as they were about to part, Mr. T came running out._

 _"Ms. Harrison," he paused, taking note to the young man standing in his door-way. "Mr. Teller." his tone dropped at the boy, less than enthused to see him. "Ms. Harrison, I took a photo of your canvas just so you had a copy to look at tonight since you insist it's not finished." he handed her the polaroid and walked back into his classroom. Maci stuffed the photo into her purse, her mind wondering just what she could put as a finishing touch on the photo._

 _"You did that?" Jaxon asked, getting a glimpse of the picture before it was entirely in her purse._

 _Maci, shocked, took a moment to respond. "Oh, uh," she brushed her long dark hair behind her ear. "Uhm, yeah. I did it for the art show, but it's not done yet. I need another abstract piece to throw into it."_

 _Jax furrowed his brow. "It needs a skull." he told her seriously. She cocked her head, looking confused. "Seriously," he told her. "A skull would set it off in just the right ways." he walked away from her, entering the art room._

 _Maci shook her thoughts, heading down to the cafeteria._

 _She could never forget his advice, seeing as it was on paper forever._

 _"I think you were right." Mr. Taggins said, approaching Maci. She was in all dress attire, hair and make-up done, right down to the red lip-stick. "It was missing something." he patted her shoulder, looking at the masterpiece, an abstract skull placed in the center/top right corner. She herself wasn't quite sure how it fit in there, but it sure did._

 _Thought they art club had various bids on the painting, going all the way up to $250, Mr. Taggins decided he just couldn't part with it. It was framed and placed on his wall, where it remained._

"Holy fuck." Jax said, looking at her. She looked nothing like she had before. The drugs had taken a tool, but, luckily, not a permanent one.

"What?" Maci questioned, not exactly sure what he was talking about.

"You painted the skull."

She looked at him, her eyes growing wide. "Oh shit." Was all she managed to get out.


	4. She My Trap Queen

**And I get high with my baby**  
 **I just left the mall I'm getting fly with my baby**  
 **And I can ride with my baby**  
 **I be in the kitchen cookin' pies with my baby**

"How did I not recognize you before?" Maci was half questioning herself. She hit her cigarette, legs shaking with anxiety. She knew this boy, she knew him as well as you would know a person you've went to school with since the 6th grade.

"Well, I'm in the same boat." Jax replied. Opie sat off in the chair, still not sure who the girl even was. "You just look so different." Was the only viable excuse he could seem to come up with.

Maci shrugged. She was a considerable 40 pounds smaller than before, probably 10 pounds underweight now. She hated looking in a mirror, seeing her cheeks collapsed and that she was becoming skin and bones. She had a lot more tattoos, too. About 20 more than she had back then; she only had one, her very first tattoo. It was the number 412 tattooed right along the front of her hip, repping her home-town area code, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She had run with the dealers and the slangers there, too, but focusing and making money instead of doing as many drugs as she could. Moving all the way to Charming, California, was a hard time, and not fun for her in the least bit.

"Yeah,"she agreed with him on her appearance. "That's just so odd, seeing you of all people now." she sighed, remembering how long it had been since she saw anyone she used to associate with: Kelly, Marsh, Nina. She hadn't heard from a single one since she got kicked out and withdrew from grade 10 in April. "Have you guys heard anything about Nina Wells?" she asked. Opies head shot out, hearing the blonde girls name.

"LIke 4'10", blonde, cheerleader?" Maci nodded, recognising her very best friends description. "Yeah, I have English with her, she's pretty cool. Helps me out with the books I don't read." Typical Nina, always there to help a slacker, as long as he had a beard and a dick; As far as Maci knew, Opie matched that description.

"Shit," Jax started. "I don't think any of them knew you dropped out. Everyone just assumed you moved or some shit. The art teach wasn't too happy about that. You know that picture you did is still in his room?"

Maci smiled slightly, familiarity flooding back to her. She hadn't had that in months, not hearing anything that sounded normal to her.

She thought about it all, the school, her friends, her plans for the future, all the crazy parties she went to. _Oh god. All the crazy parties I went to._

"Wait," Opie leaned forward, propping his elbows on his thighs, lighting a cigarette. "didn't you go to Chedisters party that one night?" Jaxs blue eyes lit up with electricity.

"Oh my fucking God!" he laughed out. "You're the girl they got to chug half a bottle of Crown!" he said, remembering the night with spots of grey and black.

Maci face palmed, shaking her head, hiding her bright red cheeks. Oh yes, yes she was that girl.

 _Chedister Farm, Laihe, California (20 miles outside of Charming)_

 _"Pussy!" Mike Chedister may have been hosting the party, but he took being an in-control bastard was too seriously. "Can't even do a fucking kegstand." his drunk friends stood around him like little slaves, chuckling at everything he said, drinking their beers in the sloppiest manner and chain-smoking cigarettes like a 50-year-old woman at bingo._

 _Maci stood in a small circle with Nina close by her side, the two girls sipping their drinks of 151 and coke, passing a bowl back and forth. It was typical for them to spend their Saturday nights like this; during the week it was work, work, and more work, but the weekend was all play; after all, all work and no play makes Maci and Nina_ very _dull girls._

 _"They're such idiots." Nina shook her head, hitting the bowl and handing it off to Maci. She exhaled. "Like, do they believe that acting like cavemen is attractive to women? Oo, me man. Me strong, me stupid. Me hit you and drag you back to my cave."_

 _Maci raised an eyebrow at her crazy friend, word vomit spewing out. Always like NIna to speak her mind as blunting as possible, especially once she had a few drinks in her. Maci looked around at all the people there in their own groups. The jocks, the out-casts, the wanna-a-be country trangers, the Latinas, the kids who lived the ghetto parts of town, and, of course, the MC kids._

 _She looked at the group of young men dressed in baggy jeans and leather jackets. God, they made her drool. Be my bad boy, be my man, was her only thought. Maci was smart and quiet, but she ran game like no other and craved the darkness deep in her blood, the rule breaking, the rebellion._

 _"Hey," a dark voice yelled over to her. She jumped, looking to see who it was._ UGH. _Mike Chidester and his little followers. "Come here." he commanded her._

 _Maci pointed to herself and Mike nodded at her, like she was stupid. She rolled her eyes, making her way over to him._

 _"Can I help you?" he asked. He put his arm around her shoulder, sending a nasty chill down her spine. Ick._

 _"I was just, uh, checking you out." he flipped his hair out of his face. "I was thinking maybe you'd like to be my gal for the night."_

 _Maci couldn't help but laugh at him, slidng her shoulder out from his arm. "Are you crazy? Why would I want to be your gal?"_

 _He huffed at her, chugging the rest of his beer._

 _"Fine." he stomped. "You come to my party and then don't agree with what I say?" he opened a cooler and pulled out a bottle of chilled Crown, almost half-full. "You either drink the rest of this, or you and your little bitch friend over there can leave."_

 _By this time he was making a scene, and everyone gathered at the party was looking at them. Nina had been conversating with a cute guy who was on debate team, and even they had become silent to watch Maci's next move._

 _She did an elegant little bow, setting her drink down on the ground next to her. Liquor raised your body temperate, and she really didn't want to end up with crown all over her clothes; all she needed were her parents to bust her coming home smelling like alcohol and weed. She slipped her jacket off, tossing it onto a stump. Using the lone hair-tie around her wrist, she threw her up and into a messy bun._

 _"Hand it over," she told Mike, motioning her hand. He laughed, shoving the bottle into her grip. She took it, wofting the smell from the bottle. Mm, Crown Royale. She tossed the Crown-shaped cap onto the ground, bringing the bottle to her lips. She took a breath and back her head went, bottle pressed to her lips._

 _Burning and up-chuck were the first things she felt, swallow-by-swallow, the liquor going down. After a while, her mouth and throat were numb and she was loving the taste. Her head got hot and her body tingly, watching the brown liquid emptying out of the bottle._

 _"Holy shit, Mace! Fucking go!" Nina cheered as she watched her best friend accomplishing the task. Soon enough, everyone, excluding Mike and his minions, were cheering her on._

 _She took the last swig, tossing the empty bottle to the ground, wiping the residue off her lips. She bent down and grabbed her jacket, slipping it back on. She picked up her drink, taking a sip of it._

 _"Thanks." she told Mike, walking off. She made her way back to Nina and other smiling party go-ers who were happy to see someone put Mike in his place._

 _"Holy fucking traaaaap queen!" Nine joked. Maci chuckled, sipping her drink. "I know who to put my money on when drinking contests come up. Was that not crazy? Like, this is my best friend, guys." Her conversation drifted off to the people around them, and Maci slowly drowned her out._

 _She looked around, making her way back over to the MC. The blonde one, Jaxon Teller, the one who had given her the idea for her portrait, smirked at her, holding his cup up for a cheers. Maci motioned hers back, taking a drink._

"Crazy fucking times." Jax said, remembering how astonished he was that night. "I don't think even I could drink that much Crown that quick." he quivered at the thought. "Were you always a secret partier?"

Maci laughed, butting her cigarette out until the ember faded from red to black ash.

"I guess so. I mean, I hid it really well from my parents, if that's what you mean. Obviously not too well, ergo why I'm kicked out and all."

Jax and Opie looked at her. Oops, that was a detail she hadn't told them yet.

"Kicked out? Is that why you stopped coming to school and shit?" Opie asked her.

Jax lit a cigarette, waitng to hear her say more. He was so interested by every word that flowed from her tongue, he was drunk in it.

"Yeah, I guess it is. I had to make money and going to school wasn't doing that for me." And her bad past decisions started flooding her head, making it pound more than it already was.

 _36 hours, rollin' in pain. Praying to someone, free me again._

"But enough about that," she changed the subject. "What about you two? I don't know much besides your name, and you're obviously part of the MC."

Jax shrugged, leaning back and crossing his leg. "What do you wanna know? There's nothing to really tell, that's about it. Our names and the MC." He looked to Opie, who nodded in agreeance.

"Well I guess that's pretty simple." she got a cold chill, starting to feel her temperature change once again. "Can we smoke something? The shittiness is returning."

Jax immediately pulled out his stash, packing a bowl up as quick as his hands would go, handing it to the detoxing girl. She was looking better, day-by-day he had to admit that. Her skin was returning to a healthy color, more of a tan than a porcelain; he face was getting less sunken in, and the dark bags under her eyes were retreating. Her hair didn't look as stringy or oily, it was starting to look clean and healthy. Her track marks were disappearing, and no fresh ones had appeared. Her eyes were getting more brightness, her lips as well. Even her tone of voice was becoming stronger. Her body was definitely returning down after a long high.

"I can't wait for this to all be before." Maci handed the bowl back to Jax, the chills and sweats deminishing. She didn't feel nearly as sick as before, and she didn't want to vomit anymore. She just wasn't quite back to normal.

"So what are you plans once it is?" Jax asked.

Even she wasn't so sure about that one. She had no clue what she was going to do.


	5. Announcement

**Hello my sweet and love followers and readers! This is a quick announcement to let you all know I will be on hiatus for a brief moment in time. Jay and I brought our baby girl home yesterday, so we are adjusting to being new parents. Wish us luck with our first run at being parents.**

 **I do have a few chapter pre-written for Forever and Never and Heading Out to The West Coast than I can and will post on my down time before I go back to writing.**

 **Novalee Skye is the most perfect little human being ever, and I will be posting a photo of her soon. I'll try to return as soon as I can, love all of you!**

 **-Arri**


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